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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Fireworks Roast (aka Beef Pot Roast)

I don't even know how, but some several years ago, when they were little, my older kids named this dish "fireworks roast." They were just kidlets back then, and said it smelled like fireworks. (Eeuuwww!!!) That sounds terrible... and they laugh about it now, but say "well, that's what we thought... but it tastes great!" I still don't know how to take that "compliment?" But since its one of their favorites, I'm not complaining. I've even been told which of their friends consider this their favorite dish that I make.

The secret to this roast (which you sort of just dump everything into) is to cook it low and slow for a lonnnnnnng time. All of the connective tissues in the meat just melt and the meat just starts to fall apart. I know my mother thinks roast should be a "slice-able," but my kids like it where its so tender that you can't possibly cut it. A fork is all you need!

1/3 each of a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, cut into large pieces

2 - 3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces

1 packet of Lipton's Recipe Secrets - Onion Mushroom soup mix

1 can Golden Mushroom condensed soup

1 can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes

1 box beef broth

Method:

Season the roast fairly liberally with the Creole seasoning. This seasoning already has a plethora of spices in it, so it saves steps. I like using a chuck roast for this dish. You can see how much marbling the meat has in it, right? Well after hours of cooking, all of that just sort of melts away, and it becomes SO tender! That said, you can't rush this. It won't be the same.

In a heavy pot, get your oil really hot, and sear the roast. Just put it in there and LEAVE IT ALONE until a nice brown color has developed.

Keep turning it and browning EACH SIDE of the roast... including the edges. Once all the edges are seared, turn off the heat.

Now, just add all the other stuff..... Leave all your veggies in large pieces, because we are going to cook them for a long time.

3 -4 large carrots, cut into large chunks.

half of a large onion, cut into large chunks

3 - 4 large cloves of garlic, cut into a medium chop

3 - 4 small/medium red potatoes, cut in half

1/3 each of a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, cut into large pieces

2 - 3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces

1 packet of Lipton's Recipe Secrets - Onion Mushroom soup mix

1 can Golden Mushroom condensed soup

1 can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes

1 box beef broth

Note - I have read complaints in the past, about the particular brands of products that I choose for my dishes. There are some people who only want to use all-organic, natural, specialty grocery products. There are other folks who only have access to, or funds for, store brands. Please just choose the brands that you are comfortable with. There are certain products that I routinely choose as brand-specific; and other things where I find the store brands to be just as satisfying. Part of the joy of cooking is making a recipe your own, and using things YOU are comfortable with. The recipe is just there to guide you with a concept. If you believe your dish will come out better by using one brand over another, then by all means, do it. If you are growing tomatoes in your back yard and want to use them... do it. If you find a can of tomatoes on sale for a great price, then choose that. I'm sorry. I'll get off of that little soap box now.

Throw it in the oven, uncovered, at 350 degrees, set the timer for 4 hours, and walk away. I usually turn the meat over after the first two hours.

After 4 hours, this is what you get. Can you smell it from where you are? When you walk into the house, it smells AMAZING!!! (Still not sure about the fireworks deal!) The veggies on top get a bit of roasted char on them that I LOVE, the gravy we made has condensed down into this silky texture, and the meat is falling apart.

Don't expect to stick a meat fork in there and pull the roast out. It will fall apart. Here you can actually see fibers of meat separating. Oh my gosh, it's so tender!! And since we left all the veggies large, they are the perfect amount of doneness now.

So promise me you'll give this a shot. Yes, it's sort of an old-fashioned recipe... but it's comfort food at its finest! Now don't you want a bite of THAT?!!

Have you enjoyed this recipe? There are tons more to choose from on my Recipe Index! Please go there and browse around and find some tasty things to cook with/for your family! And don't forget to subscribe to the MenuMusings community on the home page. I'm not quite ready to disclose them, but there are some exciting things coming up soon!

Season
the roast fairly liberally with the Creole seasoning. In
a heavy pot, get your oil really hot, and sear the roast. Just put it
in there and LEAVE IT ALONE until a nice brown color has developed. Keep turning it and browning EACH SIDE of the roast... including the edges. Once all the edges are seared, turn off the heat.

Now,
just add all the other stuff..... Leave all your veggies in large
pieces, because we are going to cook them for a long time. Throw
it in the oven, uncovered, at 350 degrees, set the timer for 4 hours,
and walk away. I usually turn the meat over after the first two hours.

After
4 hours, this is what you get. The veggies on top get a bit of roasted char on
them that I LOVE, the gravy we made has condensed down into this silky
texture, and the meat is falling apart. Don't
expect to stick a meat fork in there and pull the roast out. It will
fall apart. Here you can actually see fibers of meat separating. Oh my
gosh, it's so tender!! And since we left all the veggies large, they
are the perfect amount of doneness now. So
promise me you'll give this a shot. Yes, it's sort of an old-fashioned
recipe... but it's comfort food at its finest!

6 comments:

I think you could surely do it in a slow cooker. I did mine in the same cast iron enamel-coated Le Creuset Dutch oven that I seared it in. They are designed specifically to enhance slow-cooking by heating evenly and locking in moisture for more tender results... and that means one less pot to wash! If you do it in a slow cooker, you will need to sear it FIRST on the stovetop before adding it to your crock pot.

Of course each person should feel free to make the recipe their own in any way they see fit. That's totally the beauty of cooking at home! ;) And FYI - the broth, soup, and seasoning are all available in lower sodium varieties.

Thank you. If you do this in the crock pot, you are probably looking at cooking it 8-10 hours on low. That means you'll put it on early in the morning before work for dinner at night. That said, here are some more details. You will still need to sear the meat first. And at the end, you may have to make a little corn starch slurry (corn starch and cold water) and add to the juice, turn it on high and bring to a boil to thicken the gravy. Personally, I like the oven better. But I hope this works out for you. :)

About Me

I am a prototypical modern American mom. I am retired professor of Anatomy & Physiology at a private Christian University, and mother to four beautiful children (3 boys and 1 girl). I am also a food blogger, cookbook author, and have owned my own cafe. My background is a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with emphasis on antioxidant research. My postdoctoral training was in human obesity and caloric restriction.

I grew up in South Louisiana where the best food in the world is routinely brought from the garden and the water, and put on the table. Everyone in my family of origin is a wonderful cook, so I guess it is just natural that I show my love to my family through food.

I love cooking and eating... and teaching my children the art and techniques of being in the kitchen. My mother taught me that there is always SOME part of the cooking process that even small children can help with...so my kids are indeed very familiar with the kitchen, the kitchen tools, use of homegrown herbs, etc.